United States
Hidden Guns Allowed at US Airports: Homeland Security Chief Surprised
Associated Press
22 July 2008
WASHINGTON -- The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee says he might pursue new gun restrictions in response to a recently enacted Georgia law that could allow people to carry concealed firearms in parts of the Atlanta airport. Apparently surprised that some airports long have allowed guns in unsecured areas, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said the new Georgia legislation represents a significant hole in national security... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Most Readers Find Gun Control Outside Realm of Public Health - MedPage
MedPage Today, Web Page
22 July 2008
Gun regulation is not a public health issue, according to more than 80% of some 2,000 respondents to a MedPage Today poll. When the editors of the New England Journal of Medicine decried the recent Supreme Court decision overturning the District of Columbia's handgun law, they did so claiming the issue is a matter of public health. Now doctors in the trenches have weighed in with their own views. The responses from physicians... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Atlanta's 'Guns at Airports OK' Law Goes Federal: US Congress Asked to Act
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
21 July 2008
The chairman of the U.S. House's Homeland Security Committee wants the federal government to keep Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport a gun-free zone. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) wrote Transportation Security Administration officials Monday asking them what they will do to keep guns out of the world's busiest airport in light of a new Georgia law that allows Georgians with carry permits to tote guns into restaurants that... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Charges Dropped Against Florida Teacher Who Took Handgun to School
Orlando Sentinel (Florida)
21 July 2008
SANFORD -- A third-grade teacher arrested for taking a gun onto school property was set for trial today, but prosecutors dropped all charges. Michelle McGhee, 56, of Sanford, was arrested Dec. 12, after a secretary at Heathrow Elementary School discovered a snub-nosed .38-caliber revolver near the bus ramp. Nearby was McGhee's cell phone. McGhee admitted the gun was hers. She told authorities that she has a concealed weapons... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations, World
UN Small Arms Process 'Back on Track' - 134 Votes to Nil for Gun Control
Disarmament Insight (Geneva), Blog
21 July 2008
NEW YORK -- UN Member States met in New York all last week to examine, as they do every two years, how the 2001 Programme of Action to curb the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons is being implemented. A lot was at stake in this meeting. Guns are used to take the lives of about 300,000 people every year. They injure and disable about three times that number and commit millions more to living in perpetual poverty and fear. As some... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Lobby Losing the Battle to Encourage Guns on College Campuses
Toledo Blade (Ohio), Column
21 July 2008
The national Rifle Association is a lobbying colossus in this country, and it doesn't like to lose a political battle. Fortunately, the NRA is losing one that makes you scratch your head and ask yourself, "what were they thinking?" What they were thinking is this: The gun lobby believes America's college campuses are dangerous places for your children to be and wants the states to enact laws that would forbid any attempts to keep... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Georgia Gun Lobby Sues to Allow Hidden Handguns at Airport, Churches
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
20 July 2008
Their relationship started on the Internet -- like-minded people bemoaning what they considered restrictive Georgia gun laws. Attorney Ed Stone, a former police officer in Union City and Peachtree City, and five others commiserated in the chat room of a now-defunct Web site. They'd exchanged numerous e-mails about what they called illegal limits on gun ownership and "everybody trying to make up their own law," Stone said. So... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
In Open Carry Campaign, US Gun Lobbyists Wear Handguns to Idaho Zoo
Idaho Statesman (Boise)
20 July 2008
When you go to the zoo, you expect to see monkeys, ducks in a pond. You don't usually expect to see visitors with handguns. But you would have, had you visited Zoo Boise Saturday morning. About 10 members of the local chapter of OpenCarry.org, a national group that advocates for citizens' rights to openly carry handguns, met there. After a little confusion at the front desk about whether it's legal to bring an... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Former 'Law & Order' Actor Gets Probation for Carrying Gun at LA Airport
Associated Press
17 July 2008
LOS ANGELES -- Dennis Farina may be able to carry a gun on-screen, but he won't be able to own one in California for several months. The actor's attorney pleaded no contest on Thursday to a misdemeanor charge of bringing a weapon into a secure area at Los Angeles International Airport. A court commissioner sentenced him to up to two years of probation and ordered him to pay $1,991 in fines, said Los Angeles City Attorney spokesman... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Supreme Court Decision Brings 'A New Chance to Curb Gun Violence'
Washington Post, Opinion
17 July 2008
The Supreme Court decision last month overturning the District's handgun ban, though controversial, may have ended a long-standing political logjam. As a local law enforcement official, I hope this decision will allow a working coalition to transcend partisan disagreements and support strategies proven to reduce gun violence. The ruling left almost entirely intact the gun restrictions in Maryland and most other jurisdictions. Still... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Florida Gun Lobby Snarls at Big Companies for Defying 'Guns at Work' Law
Miami Herald (Florida)
15 July 2008
TALLAHASSEE -- Georgia-Pacific has declared that its Palatka toilet- and tissue-paper plant isn't bound by a controversial employee gun-rights law, citing a Homeland Security exemption because the company handles barge-loads of explosive fuel. The company's decision -- following Disney World's recent announcement that it's exempt because of its federal explosives permit -- has enraged the National Rifle Association and spotlighted... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Universal Studios Latest to Claim Exemption from Florida 'Guns at Work' Law
Fox 35 News (Orlando)
15 July 2008
ORANGE COUNTY, Florida -- First it was Disney. Now the controversy over the state law that allows people to bring guns to work is going Universal. Universal Studios says it too is exempt from the new gun law, signed into law July 1st. Legislators who signed the bill say they did so because employers provide few safeguards against random workplace violence, so workers should be allowed to have weapons nearby for protection.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Disney Firing Sets Stage for Gun Rights v Property Rights Battle in Florida
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale), Editorial
14 July 2008
Walt Disney World probably put itself in the legal cross hairs of America's gun lobby this week when theme park officials fired a security guard who sought the law's protection but violated company policy in doing so. Bringing a gun to work is perfectly legal, thanks to the pliant Florida Legislature that approved a law allowing concealed weapons permit holders to pack heat as long as they leave their guns locked in their vehicles.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Florida's 'Take Your Guns to Work' Law Crosses Line of Common Sense
USA Today, Column
14 July 2008
Edwin Sotomayor is the crash-test dummy in an upcoming legal collision between the National Rifle Association and Disney World. The 36-year-old was fired last week from his job as an unarmed security guard at the Orlando theme park after he took his .45-caliber handgun to work, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Under a new Florida law, people in the Sunshine State can carry their "legally owned firearms" to work as long as they leave... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Guns Should Be Allowed in Busiest US Airport, Says Georgia Governor
Associated Press
14 July 2008
ATLANTA -- Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue said Monday that guns should be allowed in public areas of the nation's busiest airport. And he suggested his own wife might want to pack a firearm for long walks between the parking lot and the terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International. "If my wife wanted to carry a gun, if she was going from the parking lot, walking from one of those far parking lots to pick up a grandchild... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Supreme Court Ruling 'Has No Effect' on Existing Illinois Campus Gun Ban
News-Gazette (Illinois)
13 July 2008
Bring a gun to the Illini Union, a dorm, or elsewhere on the University of Illinois campus and you'll be slapped with a class A misdemeanor. University policy, student code, not to mention state law, bars handguns, rifles and weapons like knives from campus. But after the U.S. Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling last month on gun ownership, which overturned a Washington, D.C., handgun ban, questions have been raised about the implications... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Texas Students Lobby For, Against Carrying Hidden Handguns on Campus
Houston Chronicle (Texas) / AP
12 July 2008
BLANCO, Texas -- College students in Texas are pushing for legislation that grants the right to bear arms on campus in the wake of last year's massacre at Virginia Tech. Currently, Utah is the only state that specifically allows the carrying of concealed weapons at public universities. A 2003 Colorado law allowed universities to adopt their own policies, and Colorado State decided not to ban licensees from carrying weapons into... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Movement Lobbies for Students, Staff to Carry More Guns on Campus
Houston Chronicle (Texas) / AP
12 July 2008
BLANCO, Texas -- Cameron Schober, a 22-year-old Texas State University student, aimed his semi-automatic pistol at the outline of a man's torso just as a gust of wind blew down the target. "Everybody hold up!" hollered instructor Mike Cox. As six other shooters lowered their weapons, Schober scrambled to brace the cardboard target at a makeshift range on a deserted Hill Country ranch. Schober and fellow student Bill Downs... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Disney Employee Refused to Obey Gun Ban, Sues to Get His Job Back
Orlando Sentinel (Florida)
11 July 2008
Former Walt Disney World security guard Edwin Sotomayor filed a lawsuit this morning in state Circuit Court in Orlando seeking to challenge Disney's position on employees' guns and to get his job back. Sotomayor, 36, of Kissimmee, was fired Monday from his job as an unarmed, uniformed security officer at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Disney said he refused to cooperate with investigators who wanted to know whether he had brought a gun... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US 'Gun Fanatics' Push the Envelope, Insist on Packing Heat at Airports
Toledo Blade (Ohio), Editorial
11 July 2008
In more rational times, giving people permission to pack heat in an airport that hosts 84 million passengers a year would seem ludicrous. But these are not reasonable times in America when it comes to gun rights -- and wrongs. The recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that supported the individual right to own a gun for self-defense and hunting has made some gun fanatics eager to keep pushing the outside of the envelope, even if that... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Lobby, 'Detested Administration' Move to Allow Guns in National Parks
Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Washington), Column
10 July 2008
In terms of making politicians' knees quiver, or getting Republican administrations to do its bidding, no lobby in America is as armed and dangerous as the National Rifle Association. The NRA has drawn a bead on America's scenic treasures. It has persuaded Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to propose a "reform" that would allow visitors to pack loaded, concealed firearms in some national parks, wildlife refuges and monuments.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Arizona Governor Vetoes String of 'Alarming, Fearsome' Gun Lobby Bills
Arizona Daily Star, Editorial
9 July 2008
Let's all pause and be grateful we have a level-headed governor, a woman with the courage to refuse to pander to the powerful gun lobby. The Arizona Legislature this year entertained quite a few alarming -- if not positively fearsome -- ideas for allowing guns into more places under fewer restrictions. In some cases, lawmakers themselves put down bad bills; in five cases, the governor stepped in with an emphatic veto. We... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Lobby Fights to Allow Hidden Handguns at World's Busiest Airport
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
9 July 2008
The gun rights group suing Atlanta and its airport over restrictions on firearms in the terminal asked a federal judge Tuesday for a temporary order stopping officials from arresting anyone caught with a weapon. GeorgiaCarry.org filed a federal lawsuit July 1, the day a new gun law took effect in Georgia, when airport officials threatened to arrest a state legislator who had announced he planned to bring a handgun to the airport... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Disney Guard Fired for Refusing to Allow Employer to Search Car for Guns
Orlando Sentinel (Florida)
7 July 2008
Walt Disney World fired a security guard on Monday after he protested the company's decision not to allow people with concealed weapons permits to keep guns in their cars on Disney property. Disney terminated Edwin Sotomayor, 36, of Orlando for violating three Disney employee policies, essentially for failing to cooperate with an internal investigation, said spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez. Sotomayor vowed to continue his fight. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Supreme Court Ruling Enshrines Most Gun Control as Legal Doctrine
Bangor Daily News (Maine), Opinion
5 July 2008
In the recent ruling District of Columbia v. Heller, the Supreme Court found that gun regulation is constitutional. While affirming the right of an individual to own a gun, the court ruled that "like most rights, the Second Amendment right is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose." The decision went on to give examples of constitutional gun regulations... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Will Guns in Cars Deter Crime in Florida? No, Says Criminologist
Treasure Coast Newspapers / Scripps (Florida), Opinion
4 July 2008
On April 15, Gov. Charlie Crist signed into law a bill allowing Floridians to leave their guns in their vehicles at work. Florida is again at the forefront of states promoting the use of armed force for the purpose of self-defense. In 1987, Florida became the first state to make it a right of residents to carry concealed handguns -- currently about half a million Floridians have such a license. In 2005, the "Stand Your Ground" statute was... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Disney Defies US Gun Lobby, Refuses to Allow Hidden Handguns at Work
Orlando Sentinel (Florida)
3 July 2008
Walt Disney World employees won't be packing any heat in the company parking lots anytime soon. The giant resort has declared that much of its sprawling property is exempt from a new state law that allows Floridians with concealed-weapons permits to keep firearms locked in their cars at work. Disney, which has 60,000 employees and a long-standing policy against allowing guns on its land, cites an arcane -- and late-added... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Disney Says It's Exempt From Florida's New 'Bring Your Gun to Work' Law
Associated Press
3 July 2008
ORLANDO, Florida -- Walt Disney World believes it is exempt from a new state law that allows Florida residents to keep firearms in their vehicles while at work, according to an internal memo obtained by a newspaper. Under the bill, which took effect Tuesday, businesses cannot prohibit employees or customers from keeping a legally owned gun locked inside their cars, as long as the owner has a permit to carry a concealed weapon. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Owners Emboldened, Demand Firearms at Work, on Their Belts
Economist
3 July 2008
On June 26th the Supreme Court overturned the District of Columbia's handgun ban and asserted that individuals have the right to own guns. Gun enthusiasts rejoiced. But as they move to capitalise on this favourable judgment, they may run into new problems. Consider two developing gun-rights controversies. On July 1st Florida became the fourth state to allow people to bring their guns to work. The gun has to stay... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Lobby Sues to Allow Guns at Atlanta Airport: Could Set US Precedent
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
2 July 2008
Guns were the issue. But words and federal lawsuits became the weapons of choice Tuesday as Atlanta officials declared Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport a "gun-free zone," and gun advocates immediately retaliated by suing them. The fight over a new state law -- one that permits licensed gun owners to carry concealed weapons in more public places -- began at Atlanta's city-run airport, the world's busiest with 89 million passengers... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Violence Spurred Two Wisconsin Mothers to Lead Local Campaigns
Capital Times (Wisconsin)
2 July 2008
Wanda Lavendel Bincer and Jeri Bonavia got caught up in criminal justice issues by way of their respective daughters, though the circumstances were quite different. Bincer, who died last Thursday, co-founded the local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children in the mid-1980s after her 25-year-old daughter, Yvonne, was murdered in 1983 in Atlanta. Bonavia founded the Milwaukee-based Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort in 1995... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
In Wake of New Law, Gun Lobby Sues to Allow Firearms at Atlanta Airport
New York Times
2 July 2008
A decision by Georgia legislators to relax the state's gun laws has led to a dispute over whether people can legally carry concealed firearms in the nation's busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International. A Georgia gun rights group filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court in Atlanta on Tuesday after airport officials said they would continue to enforce a ban on concealed weapons in the terminal despite the changes to... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Courts Across America 'Opening Pandora's Box of New Gun Litigation'
Indianapolis Star (Indiana), Column
1 July 2008
The gun lobby at last holds its Holy Grail: a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that the oddly worded Second Amendment, which speaks of a "well regulated militia" in the same sentence as "the right of the people to keep and bear arms," does, in fact, bestow upon individuals a constitutional right to own weapons. Yet it seems that the most extreme crusaders of the right were not sufficiently careful in what they wished for. Even... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New Law Sets Stage for Gun Showdown at World's Busiest Airport
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
30 June 2008
You could call it the Atlanta version of "High Noon." Top city officials will announce Tuesday that despite a new state gun law that went into effect at midnight, they will have anyone carrying a weapon at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport arrested. The state lawmaker who sponsored the new gun law says if they do, the city will immediately be sued. And state Rep. Tim Bearden (R-Villa Rica) said the plaintiff in the lawsuit... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Big Business Up In Arms Over Florida's 'Take Your Guns to Work' Law
News-Journal (Florida)
26 June 2008
TALLAHASSEE -- Wading into a battle about guns and property rights, a federal judge heard arguments Wednesday about the constitutionality of a new law that would force businesses to allow firearms in their parking lots. The Florida Chamber of Commerce and Florida Retail Federation are seeking an injunction against the law, which state lawmakers passed in April after lobbying by the National Rifle Association. The measure,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Federal Judge Calls Florida's New Workplace Gun Law 'Stupid'
Times-Union (Florida) / AP
25 June 2008
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- A new Florida law intended to prohibit public and private employers alike from banning guns locked inside cars in their parking lots is so badly written it's "stupid," a federal judge declared Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle declined, however, to rule on a request for a preliminary injunction before the law takes effect next Tuesday. Hinkle said he needed more time to study the issue... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Out-of-state No-shows Hold 1 in 3 of Utah's Hidden Handgun Permits
Salt Lake Tribune (Utah), Editorial
23 June 2008
There's a gunfight shaping up in the Utah Legislature. Gun advocates who want Utah to continue to arm the nation versus government bureaucrats and gun-control advocates who see the dangers in Utah's permissive concealed-carry permitting system. Utah permits are the Tootsie Pops of concealed-carry permits: easily obtained, inexpensive, long-lasting and unhealthy, for Utahns and the nation as a whole. More than a third of Utah's 100,000-plus... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Texan Gun Owners Chafe at Rare Restriction: Handguns Must be Hidden
Star-Telegram (Dallas-Forth Worth)
23 June 2008
If Duane Suddeth had his way, he could strap on a handgun and wear it -- anytime, anywhere -- without concealing it. That day has not come in Texas, but the 42-year-old Bedford man is among thousands hoping it is on its way. "This is the public's right," Suddeth said. "Whether they choose to exercise that or not is up to them." Texas, despite its independence and frontier reputation, is one of only six states where... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Michigan Judge Lifts Firearm Ban, Allows Gun Carrying in Courtrooms
Jackson Citizen Patriot (Michigan) / AP
20 June 2008
At a time when even nail files and pocket knives are barred from courts, Hillsdale County has reopened its historic courthouse to citizens who legally pack weapons. Circuit Judge Michael Smith recently ordered the "no guns" signs removed at the courthouse in downtown Hillsdale, saying the ban is against state law. Smith said that courthouses are not exempt from state concealed-weapons laws, so there's no way to lawfully... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
California Sheriff Reviews Hidden Handgun Permits Issued by Ex-Sheriff
Los Angeles Times
18 June 2008
Newly appointed Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens said Tuesday that she intends to review all the concealed-weapons permits that her indicted predecessor issued and revoke those of gun owners who can't prove a legal need to carry the weapons. When former Sheriff Michael S. Carona resigned in January to focus on his upcoming federal corruption trial, he had issued more than 1,100 active carry permits -- among the most issued... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Utah Lobbyists Wear Loaded Guns, Complain Police Stop Them on Street
Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)
18 June 2008
WEST VALLEY CITY -- With his Smith & Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic holstered on his right hip, Travis Deveraux addressed the mayor and City Council on Tuesday. Deveraux says he has been harassed by West Valley City police for carrying that gun and treated like a criminal. "A criminal does not want [police] attention, and they will not openly carry a gun," Deveraux said. With 10 other gun-toting civilians --... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Radio Reporter Had Illegal, Loaded Handgun in US Courthouse - Police
Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh)
17 June 2008
A radio reporter for KDKA was arrested yesterday morning and accused of trying to take a loaded handgun into the Allegheny County Courthouse. The county sheriff's office said reporter Rob Milford was stopped at 9:25 a.m. after a .38-caliber snub-nosed revolver was found in his briefcase at a courthouse screening station. Sheriff William P. Mullen said Mr. Milford told officers he didn't realize he had put his gun in his... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
iPods, Guns as the Norm in American Street Wear - Get Used To It
Boston Globe, Column
16 June 2008
Imagine a child barely tall enough to reach the top drawer of the bedroom dresser. Imagine the child on tip-toes opening the drawer because the forbidden object is hidden there. The naughty thrill of reaching under the socks, the shock of actually touching the thing, finding it cold, as if on ice. Such is my memory of furtive encounters with my father's handgun. At the time, Dad was an FBI agent. Where he stowed his weapon when off-duty... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
North Carolina Considers Banning Guns for 'Severely Mentally Ill' Owners
Stanly News & Press (North Carolina)
15 June 2008
Firearms may be banned from the hands of "severely mentally ill" individuals if legislation proposed Thursday by Attorney General Roy Cooper is approved. Cooper presented the bill, Senate Bill 2081, Thursday morning to N.C. Senate Judiciary I committee members. It directs clerks of court to enter information from involuntary commitments into a national database designed to prevent the severely mentally ill from acquiring... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Guns in US National Parks: Congress Gives to NRA in Election Year Deal
CNN / Behind the Scenes
13 June 2008
CHANTILLY, Virginia -- I'm at the Blue Ridge Arsenal in Chantilly, Virginia, the biggest gun store in northern Virginia. I'm looking at a holster on the hip of Arsenal's John Summer in which a black .22-caliber Glock pistol sits snugly. I didn't notice it before because Summer is wearing a large plaid shirt, not tucked in, covering his navy blue polo shirt. But he sweeps the big shirt back and tells me, "I've been to 7-Eleven,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Louisiana Business Lobby Beats Back NRA 'Take Your Guns to Work' Bill
Associated Press
12 June 2008
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Pro-business lobbyists gained an edge in their fight with the National Rifle Association when the House blocked a floor vote on an NRA-backed bill as time ran out in the legislative session today. The bill by Senator Joe McPherson of Woodworth would give employees the right to keep a legally owned firearm locked in their car in a parking lot at their workplace. Under the bill, the employer would get some... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
In US Store, 4yr-old Shoots Herself with Grandma's Licensed Purse Gun
Associated Press
10 June 2008
COLUMBIA, South Carolina -- A 4-year-old girl shot herself in the chest Monday after snatching her grandmother's handgun from the woman's purse while riding in a shopping cart at a Sam's Club store, authorities said. A witness, Lueen Homewood, said store workers grabbed first-aid materials off store shelves to help the grandmother as she cradled the wounded child near the store's pharmacy, The (Columbia) State newspaper reported... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Louisiana Becomes 16th US State to Repel 'Guns on Campus' Law
Shreveport Times (Louisiana)
10 June 2008
BATON ROUGE -- The possibility of carrying concealed weapons on Louisiana's college campuses was laid to rest Monday when the bill's author decided not to push it to a vote. Rep. Ernest Wooton, R-Belle Chasse, said he had the support of 45 House members but since 53 votes are needed to pass a bill in the House, he chose not to go forward. "Put the bill on the calendar until next year," Wooton asked House Clerk Butch Speer,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Ohio 'Shoot First' Law Permits Gun Owners to Fire, Injure, Kill if Fearful
Columbus Dispatch (Ohio)
10 June 2008
Over the objections of law enforcement groups, Gov. Ted Strickland today signed into law a bill that relaxes certain gun restrictions and establishes a new "castle doctrine" for shooting an intruder in self-defense. The legislation, Senate Bill 184, takes effect in 90 days. It was backed by the National Rifle Association to establish a presumption that a person acted in self-defense when shooting someone who unlawfully... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Students Packing Heat Surely Would Liven Up American Campus Life
Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh), Column
10 June 2008
Before classes adjourned for the academic year, students at the University of Pittsburgh squared off over whether guns should be legally carried on campus. Although the Students for Concealed Carry on Campus have yet to convince lawmakers to allow them to pack .45s alongside their copies of Roget's Thesaurus, I hear the pro-gunplay group plans a major offensive aimed -- pardon the pun -- at overturning the campus anti-gun policy.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
American Gun Owners Call for Loaded Handguns to Be Worn Openly
Telegraph (UK)
9 June 2008
NEW YORK -- A growing number of Americans are exercising their right not just to own guns but to carry them around in public. As a debate continues in Washington over the constitutional right to gun ownership, supporters of the so-called "open carry" movement argue that sidearms should be precisely that -- a common accessory to be worn freely. Their right to wear their gun, usually on a holster at their hip, as they go... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Chicago Man Arrested for Wearing Loaded Handgun to Communion
Chicago Sun-Times
9 June 2008
A man carrying a loaded Glock up to communion at a South Side church Sunday morning, apparently for protection, was arrested by a high-ranking police official who happened to be attending the same Catholic mass. David Kucia, 57, was charged with a weapons violation after his arrest by Deputy Chief James Keating and Sgt. Joseph Kipka at Nativity of Our Lord, the Bridgeport parish where the Daley family was reared. Keating... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Fledgling US Movement Urges Gun Owners to Openly Carry Handguns
Los Angeles Times
7 June 2008
PROVO, Utah -- For years, Kevin Jensen carried a pistol everywhere he went, tucked in a shoulder holster beneath his clothes. In hot weather the holster was almost unbearable. Pressed against Jensen's skin, the firearm was heavy and uncomfortable. Hiding the weapon made him feel like a criminal. Then one evening he stumbled across a site that urged gun owners to do something revolutionary: Carry your gun openly for the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Licensed Shooter Prompts Seattle to Clamp Down on Hidden Handguns
Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Washington)
6 June 2008
Two weeks after a shooting at Seattle's Northwest Folklife Festival, Mayor Greg Nickels reportedly plans to announce restrictions Monday on concealed weapons on city property. Nickels' office declined to offer any details about the executive order. A news conference was scheduled at the Police Department with Nickels, Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske and state legislators. In a news release, the initiative was described as... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Mental Health Clearance Required for Hidden Handgun in Massachusetts
Boston Globe, Opinion
5 June 2008
I'm convinced there are greater societal problems in need of attention than the plight of the inconvenienced gun enthusiast, highlighted on the front page of the May 29 Globe West and other regional editions ("Under the Gun"). Imagine having to submit three letters of recommendation in order to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon, or a letter from your physician stating that you aren't mentally ill. How unreasonable! Police... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US 'Law & Order' Actor Dennis Farina Charged Over Illegal Handgun at LAX
Associated Press
4 June 2008
LOS ANGELES -- Dennis Farina has been charged with illegally having a gun in his luggage at Los Angeles International Airport. The city attorney's office on Wednesday charged the "Law & Order" actor with three misdemeanor counts involving possession of a concealed and loaded weapon. The charges carry a combined maximum sentence of 2½ years in jail and $3,000 in fines. Farina was arrested three weeks ago when a .22-caliber... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Oklahoma City Police Chief Wants Handgun Registration, Tighter Gun Laws
Tulsa World (Oklahoma) / AP
2 June 2008
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Police Chief Bill Citty called Monday for tighter gun control laws to curb the kind of gang violence that left six teenagers with gunshot wounds following a drive-by shooting in southeast Oklahoma City two days earlier. Citty, speaking at a news conference by a coalition of social services, clergy and community groups opposed to gang violence, said he believes in a citizen's right to carry firearms but that too... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Hidden Handgun Licensing Requirements Vary Widely in US Eastern States
Boston Globe
1 June 2008
There was his birth certificate, driver's license, and the utility bill he handed over to prove who he was and where he lived, he says. Plus the letter verifying his membership in a gun club, and the copy of his safety certificate, and that passing grade on his marksmanship test. Not to mention being photographed, and fingerprinted for the background check. By the time he was finished with the process of applying for a license to... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Lobby Pushes for Rule Change to Permit Guns in National Parks
New York Times
30 May 2008
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyoming -- The federal government is considering a proposal to allow visitors to carry loaded, concealed weapons in some national parks, wildlife refuges and monuments. The National Rifle Association favors the proposed rule, arguing that it would help keep crime down and protect visitors from potentially dangerous wildlife. "You read stories about people attacked by animals or who stumble upon... ( gunpolicy.org )
China
Chinese Official Was Gang Boss 'With Crush on Guns' - Jailed for Life
Reuters
29 May 2008
BEIJING -- A gun-toting Chinese official who owned two Ferraris and liked driving around in an amoured personnel carrier has been jailed for life for illegal weapons possession and fraud, state media reported on Friday. Yang Shukuan, a former member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference for the northern city of Tangshan and the head of an organized crime ring, was arrested for extortion last year. "The... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Seattle: Licensed Owner of Hidden Handgun Had Mental History, Shot 3
Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Washington)
27 May 2008
A Snohomish man arrested after three people were shot last weekend at the Northwest Folklife Festival had a valid concealed weapon permit despite a history of mental health problems, police in Seattle and Snohomish County confirmed Tuesday. A disclosure during a Monday bail hearing that Clinton C. Grainger, 22, suffers from several mental health problems prompted questions about whether he should have been eligible to carry a concealed... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Encouraging More Hidden Handguns on US Campuses Is a Bad Idea
Times-Picayune (Louisiana), Editorial
26 May 2008
Rep. Ernest Wooton keeps threatening to revive his bill to allow guns on college campuses. He shouldn't. Lifting gun prohibitions from colleges, universities and vocational-technical schools is a bad idea. Rep. Wooton delayed a vote by the House May 12 in the face of opposition to the bill. He said then that he would bring House Bill 199 back up in two weeks, which would be this week. "I intend to stay with this bill,"... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Lobby to Allow Loaded Guns in US National Parks 'Risks Public Safety'
Tennessean (Nashville), Editorial
17 May 2008
The debate over gun rights has reached a new low with a Bush administration proposal to allow people to carry concealed weapons in some national parks and wildlife refuges. For 25 years, federal regulations have required that guns in national parks be unloaded and not easily accessible, such as locking them in a car trunk. But Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne recently proposed changing those rules to allow a person to carry that... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Secret Service Strips NRA of Guns, Hundreds of Knives at McCain Speech
New York Daily News, Column
17 May 2008
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky -- A small but startling sign welcomed the gun lovers who arrived at the National Rifle Association's annual gathering Friday. "Firearms WILL NOT be allowed in Hall A during the Celebration of American Values Leadership Forum." Beyond this sign at the Kentucky Exposition Center was a row of 10 metal detectors. They were manned by uniformed Secret Service officers deployed because the scheduled speakers... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Hidden Handguns NOT Allowed at McCain Speech to NRA - Secret Service
WHAS-TV News (Kentucky)
15 May 2008
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky -- It's expected to bring some 60,000 people to Louisville and some prominent political figures, including presidential candidate John McCain. The NRA convention starts Friday at the Kentucky Exposition Center. We first told you on WHAS11 news that guns would be allowed at Friday's event with McCain. Now we've learned that's changed. The south wing was bustling with activity Thursday, the day... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Hidden Handguns Now Allowed in Georgia Eateries, Parks, Public Transport
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
14 May 2008
Georgians with carry licenses can tote their concealed guns on public transportation, in restaurants that serve alcohol and in state parks under legislation signed by Gov. Sonny Perdue Wednesday. Perdue inked the controversial gun bill on the final day for him to sign or veto legislation. He also signed a $21 billion state budget that will give 200,000 teachers and state employees 2.5 percent pay raises, and approved a bill allowing... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Owners Join Moderate Pro-gun Group to Counter 'Terrorist' NRA
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania), Column
13 May 2008
Mayor Nutter and Gov. Rendell are taking aim and don't plan to let up. In the aftermath of the cold-blooded killing of Philadelphia Police Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski with a semiautomatic weapon, they made a written appeal to lawmakers in Harrisburg last week. Man up -- now. Stand up for the state's law enforcement officers and ban the possession, manufacture, use and importation of assault weapons. This latest... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
One NRA Lobbyist Beat 60 Big-business Lobbyists, Brought Guns to Work
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale)
11 May 2008
As business lobbyists learned this spring, don't mess with Marion Hammer. Hammer, 69, has been the National Rifle Association's lobbyist in Tallahassee for more than three decades. Credit her with the intense, three-year push for the controversial guns-to-work bill that the Republican Legislature and Gov. Charlie Crist made law this session. Business interests -- and their 60-plus lobbyists -- considered the bill an attack... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Actor, 'Law & Order' Star Arrested with Unlicensed Pistol at LA Airport
Associated Press
11 May 2008
LOS ANGELES -- Actor Dennis Farina was charged with a felony Sunday at Los Angeles International Airport after a loaded gun was found in his carry-on luggage. When the weapon was discovered at a security checkpoint, the 64-year-old actor said he had forgotten the .22-caliber handgun was in his luggage, police said. Farina was booked for investigation of carrying a concealed weapon, said Sgt. Dennis Beacham. Bail was set... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Fearing an 'Anti-gun' President, Rush of Texans Apply for Hidden Handguns
Houston Chronicle (Texas)
8 May 2008
AUSTIN -- Demand for concealed handgun licenses has risen nearly 40 percent in Texas in a year, an increase being attributed to many factors, even presidential politics. Though the exact cause may be unclear, what's certain is that the spike in applications has caught the Department of Public Safety unprepared. The state is taking a month longer than the 60 days allowed by law to process original applications and 80 days... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
'Careless' Utah Police Chief Shot Himself While Teaching Gun Safety Class
Associated Press
6 May 2008
RIVERDALE, Utah -- The police chief who shot himself in the ankle was waving a loaded pistol and being careless, according to two students who were attending his class to qualify for a concealed-weapons permit. "We were told the gun is the chief's personal sidearm, but it looked to me like he didn't know anything about the gun," Lewis Walker said. Bart Ulm, another student seeking certification to carry a concealed weapon, said... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Push to Allow Loaded Guns in US National Parks Should Be Shot Down
Christian Science Monitor, Editorial
6 May 2008
Pressured by the gun lobby and 51 US senators, the Interior Department proposes enhancing everyone's national park experience by letting people pack heat with a picnic. That's just what the nation's millions of park visitors don't need. Last week, Interior put out for public comment a rule that would allow people with concealed-weapons permits to carry loaded guns in national parks and wildlife refuges. Forty-eight states grant... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Firearm Laws Change Quickly as State Legislators Ride With Gun Lobby
Palm Beach Post (Florida)
6 May 2008
If the gun lobby has its way, you'll be able to be locked and loaded virtually anywhere in America, from parks to schools. If gun control advocates have theirs, law-abiding citizens will continue to be helpless prey for murderers, rapists and thieves. Now that Florida and Georgia have joined six other states with "bring your gun to work" laws, expect to hear these arguments more often as the two sides spar over just how... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
American Pro Athletes Who Carry Guns Are Begging for Trouble
Kansas City Star (Missouri), Column
3 May 2008
When you're a high-profile-millionaire anything, gun-toting does not enhance your safety. It jeopardizes it. Indianapolis Colts receiver Marvin Harrison learned that lesson last week. I hope members of the Kansas City Chiefs are paying attention. Harrison has spent the past decade crafting a relatively impeccable reputation as a Hall of Fame receiver and private, community-minded role model. A decade of work just might... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Florida Must Reject Bill to Allow Guns in Restaurants, on Public Transport
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia), Opinion
2 May 2008
In a letter to Gov. Sonny Perdue, Woodstock Mayor Donnie Henriques opposes House Bill 89, which would allow permitted gun holders to take their weapons in public parks, restaurants and on public transit. Here are excerpts: In this legislative session our elected delegates addressed many issues with typical spirit and competency and I am again honored to be associated with the men and women who dedicate their lives to public office.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Pakistan Launches Campaign to Prevent Civilians Carrying Guns
International News (Karachi)
2 May 2008
ISLAMABAD -- The Ministry of Interior Wednesday directed all provincial governments to launch an immediate focused campaign against display, brandishing and carriage of small weapons, says a press release. The ministry underscored the fact that vast majority of the killings and casualties are directly attributable to the use of small arms, which are easy to carry and conceal therefore the provincial governments have been directed... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New York Shows Gun Lobby is Wrong: Tough Gun Laws Curb Shootings
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia), Editorial
1 May 2008
The gun lobby contends that Georgia will be a safer place if Gov. Sonny Perdue signs House Bill 89, which allows those with permits to carry concealed weapons on MARTA trains, in state parks and in restaurants that serve alcohol. But, of course, those lobbyists offer no facts to support their position, only the bumper-sticker argument that when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. Fortunately, that statement... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Some Floridians Earned Hidden Handgun Permits 'Firing' Toy Plastic Guns
Orlando Sentinel (Florida)
30 April 2008
Some of the 500,000 people holding concealed-weapons permits in Florida qualified by using toy guns. Recent complaints to state officials pointed out that almost anyone who wants to carry a handgun to the movies, mall or church can do so. The shortcomings they cited include training that allows firing bullets without gunpowder, and passing students for merely pulling the trigger once or twice without ever loading or unloading a... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Barack Obama Lists the Tighter Gun Control Measures He Supports
Chicago Sun-Times
25 April 2008
In a sit-down interview with the Sun-Times, White House hopeful Barack Obama said Thursday he has been following with great concern the gun violence that has plagued the city in recent weeks. "The news has just been heart-breaking," Obama said after a speech to union members at McCormick Place. "I've asked my staff to contact the Chicago Police Department, and I'm going to put in a call to the mayor just to find out just what is... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Georgia Bill to Allow Hidden Handguns on Trains, Buses and in Restaurants
Los Angeles Times
25 April 2008
ATLANTA -- Scores of Atlanta's law enforcement, transit and business leaders joined Mayor Shirley Franklin on Thursday to urge Gov. Sonny Perdue to veto a bill that would allow Georgians to carry concealed handguns onto trains and buses and into restaurants that serve alcohol. "This is not about the right to bear arms," Franklin, a Democrat, said at a news conference at City Hall. "This is about public safety ... There is a direct... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Georgians Wake up to Law Encouraging Guns in Eateries, Public Transport
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
25 April 2008
Three weeks after is slipped through the legislature, a bill to permit licensed owners to carry concealed firearms in parks, on public transportation and in booze-serving restaurants has resulted in a delayed storm of protest urging Gov. Sonny Perdue to veto the measure. MARTA bus drivers already have 1,000 signatures on a petition demanding bulletproof shields, should HB 89 be signed into law. The Georgia Restaurant Association,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
More and More US States Pass Laws to Conceal Hidden Handgun Permits
USA Today
25 April 2008
South Carolina last week became the latest in a growing number of states to make the names of people who have a license to carry a concealed weapon a state secret. Five other states might not be far behind in a battle that pits a public policy of open government against the right of people to keep their gun ownership records private. Bills that would make concealed gun permit records confidential have been introduced in... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Corporations Have No Right to Keep Guns Away From the Workplace
Tampa Tribune (Florida), Opinion
25 April 2008
While clowning around with my grandchildren one day, I suddenly shouted, "Look at the sky, it has turned from blue to green." Try as I might, I could never convince them that it was true, because they could see and couldn't be fooled. So it is with Robert Levy's column ("Employers Must Pull The Trigger," Our Opinion, April 22). Levy claims that our right to have firearms locked in our cars in a parking lot is not about... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Dealer Sold to Campus Killers, Now Touts Guns at Virginia Tech
Associated Press
25 April 2008
BLACKSBURG, Virginia -- The online weapons dealer who sold one of the guns used in the Virginia Tech shootings visited the campus, a decision the school's spokesman called "terribly offensive." Dealer Eric Thompson spoke at the school Thursday night as part of a weeklong demonstration in favor of allowing people to carry concealed weapons at colleges. "For people who want to arm themselves, there shouldn't be policies in... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Tech Slams Visit by Gun Dealer Who Armed Campus Shooters
New York Times / The Lede, Blog
25 April 2008
Many news accounts have accurately described Eric Thompson as the owner of an online firearms store linked to two mass shootings -- Seung-Hui Cho bought a gun there, Steve Kazmierczak bought ammunition. In attacks less than a year apart, they killed 37 people at two universities. But his company tells a more complicated story, explaining that an "unfortunate twist of fate is spurring him to take a more active role in protecting... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Dealer Sold to Campus Killers, Touts Cheap Guns at Virginia Tech
CNN
24 April 2008
The owner of a company that sold firearm merchandise to both the Virginia Tech University and Northern Illinois University shooters said he will sell his guns at cost for the next two weeks in hopes that "law-abiding" citizens will buy them to prevent similar tragedies. A gunman killed 32 people in April 2007 at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg. "I want to help people save lives," Eric Thompson said Thursday. He was... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Tech Gun Dealer Offers Student Discount, Touts Pistols on Campus
ABC News (USA)
24 April 2008
The owner of an Internet-based firearms store that sold a gun to Virginia Tech shooter Seung-Hui Cho says he is now offering a discount for students who want to carry guns on campus to protect themselves. The company, TGSCOM Inc., also sold two 9mm Glock magazines to Steven Kazmierczak, who killed five people at Northern Illinois University earlier this year. The owner of TGSCOM, Eric Thompson, announced today that for the next... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Dealer Armed Campus Shooters, Touts More Guns to Make US Safer
Green Bay Press Gazette (Wisconsin)
23 April 2008
A Green Bay-based online gun dealer linked to deadly shooting rampages on two college campuses today announced he'll sell guns at cost for two weeks in an effort to arm citizens and prevent future tragedies. Eric Thompson said his company TGSCOM will offer guns to customers April 23 through May 7 for the same price he pays for them. That could mean a savings of $100 on a $500 gun purchase, he said. "I'm not making a dime... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Florida's New 'Take Your Guns to Work' Law Faces Heavy Legal Challenge
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale)
22 April 2008
Florida's so-called "guns-to-work" law is the target of a lawsuit filed Monday in federal district court in Tallahassee by the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Retail Federation against Florida's attorney general. The law, signed April 15 by Gov. Charlie Crist and effective in July, allows employees with concealed-weapons permits to keep guns locked in their vehicles at work. The business groups are challenging... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Rights Trample All Others as Florida Passes 'Take Guns to Work' Law
Tampa Tribune (Florida), Editorial
22 April 2008
Like a majority of lawmakers, Gov. Charlie Crist places gun rights above all others. By signing a bill that allows people to keep guns in their cars at work, he ignored the private property rights of business owners, who must pay the price for any gun-related incidents on their land. The guns-at-work law also allows a secret group of citizens to buy constitutional protection by obtaining a permit to carry a concealed weapon.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
In Year After Virginia Tech Campus Killings, US Gun Laws Were Relaxed
Sunday Mirror (UK)
20 April 2008
A year ago this week I stood at a candlelight vigil at Virginia Tech University in America and watched a campus mourn. A day earlier Seung-hui Cho, a mentally disturbed undergraduate, armed himself to the teeth, walked calmly into the university building and shot dead 32 students and five members of staff. He then blasted himself in the head. It was the worst college massacre in American history and for days afterwards... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Georgia Lawmaker Claims Support for More Hidden Handguns in US Schools
Augusta Chronicle (Georgia)
19 April 2008
In light of some shootings on college campuses in the past year, some students and faculty in Georgia are pushing for the right to carry handguns on campus. A proposal in the Georgia Legislature earlier this year that would have allowed gun-toting students and faculty on college campuses failed, but part of the legislation remained allowing permitted gun holders on public transit and in restaurants. Some still hold out... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Obama's 9yrs on Board of 'Pro-gun Control' Joyce Foundation Dissected
Politico (Washington, DC)
19 April 2008
Barack Obama's presidential campaign has worked to assure uneasy gun owners that he believes the Constitution protects their rights and that he doesn't want to take away their guns. But before he became a national political figure, he sat on the board of a Chicago-based foundation that doled out at least nine grants totaling nearly $2.7 million to groups that advocated the opposite positions. The foundation funded legal... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Clinton, Obama Campaign for Tough, Untrusting Crowd of US Gun Owners
Chicago Tribune
18 April 2008
ALBURTIS, Pennsylvania -- Their passion is on display, table by table, row by row. Six-shooter revolvers, World War II-era rifles, plastic automatics, AK-47s, knives as long as your forearm, Nazi memorabilia, sniper scopes, hunting shotguns, bullets, shells, stickers ("If You Come In This Door, You Will Be Killed"). It's a drizzly, chilly morning in this tiny eastern Pennsylvania town, but the muddy parking lot outside... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
NRA Executive Wayne LaPierre Blasts Obama, Clinton in Tennessee Visit
Kingsport Times-News (Tennessee)
18 April 2008
KINGSPORT -- National Rifle Association Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre took aim Friday night at Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's recent comment that people in small-town America are "bitter about their lives and that's why they cling to their guns and their religion." LaPierre, speaking to about 200 people at an event organized by the Tennessee Conservative Political Action Committee, claimed Obama's remark... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Should Floridians Be Allowed to Take Guns in Cars to Work? Yes and No
Kansas City Star (Missouri) / Pro-Con, Opinion
18 April 2008
PRO-CON: Should employees be allowed to keep guns in cars at work? No After years of wimping around, Florida lawmakers finally passed a law that will allow you to bring your favorite firearm to work, providing you leave it locked in your vehicle. In the past, deranged employees who wanted to mow down their boss and colleagues had to drive all the way home to fetch their guns. It was the waste of a perfectly good lunch hour,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Democrat Hopefuls in 'Silly Spectacle' as They Compete for US Gun Vote
Wall Street Journal, Opinion
17 April 2008
Imagine an election race of Pat Robertson versus James Dobson, each of them appearing at organic grocery stores and Starbucks throughout Massachusetts, with each candidate insisting that he alone deserves the vote of gay-marriage advocates. An equally silly spectacle is taking place these days in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Indiana, West Virginia and Kentucky, as Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama compete for the pro-gun vote. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Foreign Media Notice Breadth of Anti-gun, Pro-gun Campaigns in America
Sydney Morning Herald
17 April 2008
In groups of 32, protesters around the United States were to lie on the ground for three minutes yesterday in an attempt to bring light to gun laws they say are too lax. The protests were to occur at least 80 times in 33 states one year after a mentally ill gunman on a murderous rampage killed 32 people on the Virginia Tech campus. At each event, the 32 protesters were to symbolise the 32 Virginia Tech victims and did not include... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Michigan Students Rally to Oppose 'Guns on Campus' Policy Change
Grand Rapids Press (Michigan)
17 April 2008
GRAND RAPIDS -- About 65 Calvin College students are marching on campus this afternoon to protest a plan to have campus safety supervisors carry handguns. Students carried "no guns" signs and chanted "No more weaponry. We want community," as they walked peacefully from the campus green to the president's home. School leaders plan to begin the gun policy this fall. The board is expected to approve the plan next month, making... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Americans Have Institutionalized the Idiocy of Gun Worship - Victim's Father
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia), Opinion
16 April 2008
Today, as I write, House Bill 89 rests on Gov. Sonny Perdue's desk awaiting his signature. It will permit those with concealed-carry permits to take their firearms onto public transportation, into state parks and into restaurants that earn more than 50 percent of their income from food. Perdue should veto this bill. And he shouldn't dilly-dally doing it. The gun issue nowadays isn't ultimately a Republican vs. Democrat... ( gunpolicy.org )
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